Crutch.



PATENTED OCT;- 22. 1907.

W. AUTENRIETH.

GRUTGH.

APPLIoATIoN FILED JULY 1s. 1907.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known'that I, WILLIAM AUTENRIETH, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Oincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio,

have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Crutches, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has relation to crutches, especially to those oi the convertible type and the object thereof is to provide a crutch of two superposed members adapted to be adjustably and detachably held together, the upper member being an arm or crutch proper and the lower member being a hand or walkingcane.

One of the lesser or special objects of the invention is to provide the upper or crutch member with a curved arm-piece having a detachable, suspended arm rest or pad therein. l

Another lesser or special object of the invention is to .providea detachable handle for the lower or cane mem- A` ber oi the device, such handle also forming the grip for the ,hand when the two members are combined for assembled use as a crutch.

Other features of the invention will be fully hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying sheet 'of-drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation of my device showing the two members 2 .united for use as a complete crutch; Fig. 2, a view similar to Fig. 1, but on a somewhat larger scale, and showing a part ofthe arm-piece in cross-section, a part of the body portion o the crutch-member in cross-section, a part of the upper portion of the cane-member in crosssection and the lower part of said cane-member in .cross-section; Fig. 3, an elevation of the crutch-mem- -ber shown detached and with the suspension arm-piece pad removed; Fig. 4, an elevation of the cane-member detached; Fig; 5, an elevation of the caneunember showing its handle-portion detached and raised above its body portion; and Fig. 6, a sectional plan on dottedline at, x, of Fig. 1, but on a larger scale.

I i In these views, I indicates the body portion or stick of the upper or crutch member, 2- the curved arm-piece at the upper end thereof, and 3, 3' a short length. of double tubing, the portion 3 of which latter is engaged by the lower end of the body portion l.

The body portion 1 and the arm-piece 2 are preferably made of an internal metal tubing la and an external tubing 1l? of rubber or the like, a solid rod 1 being suitably inserted and held in the metal tubing of said v body portion and such metal rod extending below the lower end of said body portion, as shown at 1d in Figs. 1, 2 and 3.

4 is a T-shape hollow reinforce and coupling connecting the arm-piece to the upper end of the said body portion.

Specicaton of Letters Patent. Application filed July 13, 1907. Serial No. 383,653.

-- UNITED sTATEs PATENT b""oEEIoE WILLIAM AUTENRIETH, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

CRUTCH.

Patented Oct. 22, 1907.

5 represents a iiexible pad having straps 6, 6 at its respective opposite ends; such straps being passed through loops or eyes in plates 7,'7, the latter being detachably secured to the opposite ends of the arm-piece by means o screws 8, 8. The ends of the straps 6, 6. 66 are buckled together at G, the tension of the pad being regulated and determined by the position of the drawstrap in the buckle, as is obvious. The pad is intended for initial use, or for sore and tender arm-pits, but` ordinarily it is dispensed with and the plain curved arm-piece; without the pad, as shown in Fig. 3, is used.:Y

Thus far I have described in detail4 the crutch-member proper of my device and I will now take up the description in detail of the cane-member of my device, t such canemember being 'essential to the complement of my device as a crutch, the said erutchmember being of no material use of itself. f

9 represents the body portion or stick of the walkingcane member proper of my device, it forming the comp g plement of my convertible crutch when assembled with the crutch-member proper, as seen in Fig. 1,

ready for crutch purposes. l 10 represents a lateral arm, forming a handle at the I upper end o the cane-member and, when in assemv bled position with the crutch-member, lying parallel, but not in anywise adjacent, to the arm-piece and forming, also, the hand-grip of the crutch.

The cane-rn ember is composed of an inner metal tubing 10*rl and an external tubing 101 of rubber or other suitable material, a metal rod 10 extending from 85 the handle downward into the metal tubing or core of the body portion 9 and a metal rod l1 extending from the lower end of the inner tube of said body portion 9, all as best seen in Fig. 2. I

A metal tubing or jacket 12 extends from the lower 90 end of the handle portion of the cane-member, its hollow extended end telescoping the upper end of the body portion 9, such upper end of the body portion 9 being slightly bent or deviated from a straight course at 12 and passing upward through the member or bar- 95 rel 3 ofthe double tube at the lower end of the crutchmember. The upper end of the body portion 9 extends beyond the upper end of the barrel 3, about half the length of the jacket 12 and a set-screw 13 is used to detachably secure the handle-member to the body portion of the cane-member.

Set-screws 14, 14 are used to attach the member 3 of the double tubing to the lower end ofthe body por' f tion of the crutch-member, the other member 3 of said;y double tubing practically forming a guide-way as well 105 as a means oi connecting the body portion of the cane` member to the crutch-member. It will be seen that the jacket 12 and the set-screw 13, when secured in' place, prevent the body portion 9voi the cane-member becoming detached trom the member 31 of the double 11,0 'f l 'or sleeve 15 on the body portion 9 oi the cane-member and secure it in the desired position thereon by means of a screw 16, and a lateral eye 17 is constructed on the side of said sleeve l5, such eye beingl engaged by the lower end ofthe extended portion 1d of the internal rod or core oi the body portion 1 of the crutch-member. A firm and strong connection between the cane-member and the crutch-member of my device is thus produced in a practical and simple manner, and theY device is readily converted for use as a crutch or a cane, the two members forming the respective crutch and cane members of the device being readily separable and readily united as desired. t

The position of the crutch-member on the cane member may be adjusted lengthwise, to suit slight variations in the height of several users by simply supplying a series of screw-holes for the screws 13 and 16.

The lower end of the walking-stick is provided with the spur 18 which is part of the rod thereof and the usual rubber pad 19, with its tubular attaching-section 2() is screwed into place on the lower threaded' end ofv the outer tubing oi said cane-section. .The spur 18 is for use on slippery surfaces, especially for winter use7 20 are first removed from place atthe lower end of the cane-section.

In Fig. 1, I show how Vthe device is made up when used as a crutch, with all the parts properly assembled, and in Fig. 4, I show the device as it appears as a cane and with all the parts of the crutch-member removed.

1 claim:-

1. A convertible crutch comprising a crutch-member proper having an armpiece at its upper end and a. double tube coupling at its lower end, :l cane-member hav'ing :1 detachable handle and with its body portion engaging one of the barrels or tubes of said double tube coupling of the crutch-member and means for detachably uniting the said crutch-member and said cuire-member.

2. A convertible crutch and cane comprising a crutcl1- member proper havingr a curved arm-piece at its upper end, n double tube coupling and an extension rodat its lower end. a walking-enne member having a detachable handle and engaging one of the tubes of said double tube coupling at the lower end of said crutch-member, means for detnchably uniting the crutch and cane members and n sliding sleeve-on the enne-member engaging the extension rod of the crutch-member.

3. A' crutch comprising a body portion having a curved or concave arm-piece, a flexible pad having extended ends' adjustably connected together beneath the pad and loops detachahly secured to the opposite ends of said arm-piece and adapted to support the p adfby its extended ends.

"' WILLIAM AUTENRIETH.

Witnesses .Toux EMAS JONES, Nonna Kinsmn. 

